Friday Bolts – 8.22.14

Fran Blinebury of NBA.com on DPOY candidates: “If you don’t think he’s a game-changer, then you weren’t paying attention last spring when the Serge Protector missed the first two games of the Western Conference finals and the Spurs were able to run a virtual lay-up line through the heart of the OKC defense. When Ibaka returned from a calf injury, all of a sudden it wasn’t so easy for Tony Parker and his friends to get to the basket and the series was quickly tied up 2-2. Ibaka protects the rim, contests jumpers and puts the bite into the Thunder. He’s continuing to blossom as an offensive force, but it’s his defense that is the glue of the Thunder. He led the league in total blocks for the fourth straight time last season and has been voted to the All-Defensive first team three years in a row. It’s finally his turn to get the big hardware.”

Bradford Doolittle of ESPN Insider on top power forwards: “This ranking seems low for Ibaka, who has put up 9.6 or more WARP in three straight seasons, and is still at an age (24) when his numbers should be expected to improve. The disconnect is a product of RPM, where he was plus-0.4 on the offensive end — the first positive season of his career — while his defensive RPM slipped from plus-3.5 to plus-1.9. The hidden narrative is that it seems like the more Ibaka tries to do, the less he helps his team. That’s a trend worth watching.”

KD on meeting Steph Curry: “This yellow kid, right” Durant continued. “Lets be be real now, right. Where I come from, those are light-skinned guys, and we’re all like me. I step in the gym and all these guys are stepping up from halfcourt with the jump shot, and I’m like, ‘he’s not making this.’ Splash. When we played (Curry), he only had like 35 and he was 10-years-old. And I was like, ‘Who is this’? Ten years later, it’s like, ‘Whoa, that’s Steph Curry.’ It’s crazy how you cross paths with these guys and you’re kids and don’t know,” Durant concluded. “And then once you (know them), it’s like ‘Wow, it’s pretty cool to see him at that age.’”

Adam Silver in international competition: “It is a big risk without enormous financial reward … I’ll only reiterate that ultimately it is a personal decision for these players,” Silver said. “I should point out that it is not just U.S. players we are referring to. Collectively we have close to 50 NBA players participating in this World Cup on behalf of their national teams.”

College football - Go Sooners! - less than a week away, the NFL the following week, first-place Royals by two-and-a-half games, NBA training camp not far away, the U.S. Tennis Open on the door step. All fabulous.

Possibly but I wouldn't hold my breath. The southwest will be the toughest division in the east and they are clearly the 5th best team. I'd have the bucks as my surprise playoff team. All they need is for larry sanders and on mayo to return motivated and they have a shot

@SeinfeldOKC@Jabb0310 I'm probably not the best person to ask. I know that when Love was off the court the were absolutely horrible. And with such a young group...I doubt it. But if they keep them together they might be good given time.

I think they could be better then that. Assuming they pull another trade. They really need another pg who can score/create. If they could turn pek and others into Monroe and Jennings from the pistons I could see some massive Ewing theory potential from the wolves

@Jabb0310@SeinfeldOKC I probably shouldn't have done that. Basically this way I just punted Rebounds and Blocks because I don't have nearly enough big men, I guess this team would just get points, and not even at a good shooting % probably. Eh probably a bad tea,

@Jabb0310@SeinfeldOKC 9 categories. Whoever wins the majority of categories wins the week's matchups. So my team would get more asts but if you got more rebounds, we both won 1 "category". So it's a wash.